- RCB aims for top spot with a win against KKR.
- KKR seeks momentum with consecutive victories.
- Match airs live on Star Sports, 7:30 PM IST.
RCB VS KKR IPL 2026: Today’s Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Kolkata Knight Riders match is important in terms of the IPL 2026 playoffs race. They will clash at the Shaheed Veer Narayan International Cricket Stadium. In the previous match played at this venue earlier this season, RCB had defeated Mumbai. Bengaluru are currently placed second on the points table with 7 wins from 11 matches. A win today will take RCB to 16 points. Additionally, their net run rate (+1.103) is significantly better than table-toppers Gujarat Titans, which means a victory would push them to the top spot.
Meanwhile, KKR are also in the playoffs race. The team has won 4 out of their 10 matches, while one point came from a washed-out game. Kolkata are coming into this clash on the back of four consecutive wins and will be looking to continue the momentum. If they manage to win all their remaining matches, they can reach 17 points.
RCB VS KKR: Predicted Playing XI
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Virat Kohli, Jacob Bethell, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (C), Venkatesh Iyer/Romario Shepherd, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma
Impact Player: Rasikh Salam Dar/Jacob Duffy
Kolkata Knight Riders: Ajinkya Rahane (C), Finn Allen, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (WK), Cameron Green, Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Anukul Roy, Kartik Tyagi, Vaibhav Arora
Impact Player: Varun Chakaravarthy/Navdeep Saini
RCB VS KKR: Weather Report
As per weather forecasts, Raipur is expected to remain favourable with no chances of rain. The temperature during the opening hour of the match is likely to hover around 37-38 degrees Celsius, before dropping by around 3 to 4 degrees after 8:30 PM.
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RCB VS KKR: Pitch Report
The pitch at Shaheed Veer Narayan International Cricket Stadium is generally known to assist bowlers, making things slightly challenging for batters. Fast bowlers are expected to get seam movement and swing early on, so batters will need to stay cautious at the start.
Bowlers could dominate during the powerplay, which means openers may have to avoid risky shots and focus on preserving wickets. A first-innings total of around 180 could put the chasing side under added pressure at this venue.
The average first-innings score at this ground is 165. Captains winning the toss are likely to opt for bowling first, especially with dew expected to play a role later in the evening.
Interestingly, during the previous game played here, Virat Kohli was dismissed for a duck, while Suryakumar Yadav also failed to open his account. The boundaries at this stadium are relatively bigger, making fours and sixes harder to come by.
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RCB VS KKR: Live Streaming Details
The live broadcast of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Kolkata Knight Riders match will begin at 6:30 PM IST on the Star Sports network channels. Live streaming will be available on the JioHotstar app and website.
The toss will take place at 7 PM IST, while the match is scheduled to begin at 7:30 PM IST.
